To Boldly Be
by TheonlyFanTazy
Summary: Finding wreckages of ships wasn't uncommon when travelling the galaxy. But this one was different; it had a survivor on board. What's more, she had no memories. McCoy/OC [Rating may change, depending on how much McCoy can restrain himself]
1. Chapter 1

_Starship USS Enterprise_

_Captain's Log_

_Stardate: 2260.99_

_Currently investigating ruins of unknown ship in unexplored territory._

_Survivors currently found: None._

_Ready to personally board the damaged vessel along with my first officer._

"Captain." A Vulcan wearing a blue uniform approaches the abandoned bridge of the unknown ship. "The engine room is completely destroyed from the inside. This destruction was not of enemy cause."

The captain he is referring to stands up from the remains of a body. His expression is still as he addresses his second in command. "This was done by an inside man." He holds up a framed photograph covered in dried and crisping blood. "The former captain of this ship had this in his hands. A photo of his family; wife and child." He throws the picture onto the helmsman's workstation. "Whoever did this needs to pay for it."

"Captain!" A voice over the captain's personal communicator calls suddenly. "We have a reading from the unknown starship, located in the shuttlebay! It seems to be a survivor!"

The captain looks up with a spark of hope in his eyes as the words seem to repeat in his mind. "Thank you, Mr Sulu. We're heading there now!" He closes his communicator and looks to his first officer. "Let's go, Spock."

"Yes, sir," Spock follows after the captain to the shuttlebay.

The doors slide open and the two men step into a large room. A single shuttlecraft lingers intact with three others destroyed and burned. Near the shuttle's entrance, a body lies still and motionless.

The captain hurries to the body with Spock following closely behind. He kneels beside the body and turns it to see their face to find it being a young woman with long brown hair. He presses two fingers against her neck and he releases a relieved sigh.

He takes out his communicator and dials in. "Kirk to Enterprise. Prepare to warp us back… And have doctor McCoy on standby." He looks to his first officer and nods. "We've found a survivor."


	2. Chapter 2

The incessant sound from the onboard infirmary is interrupted by an intercom from the bridge.

"Captain, you are needed on the bridge," Spock's monotone voice calls over the speakers.

"I'll be right there, Spock," Kirk firmly replies as he stands over the sleeping woman resting on one of the infirmary beds.

He watches as her chest gently rises and falls as her conscious lingers elsewhere. Her eyes remain closed and unresponsive.

The doctor steps towards her and takes a small blood sample from her arm and immediately analysis it. "You say you found her near one of the shuttles?" McCoy speaks up to the captain – his friend.

"The only one still able to fly, and get in to for that matter," Kirk replies simply. "The others were almost completely obliterated."

McCoy gives Kirk a questioning look. "Raises questions about our little maiden here, doesn't it?" He asks as he turns to face a monitor on the wall and looks through the statistics. He furrows his eyebrows and purses his lips. "And it keeps getting more mysterious."

Kirk looks to his friend with a serious look. "What is it? What's wrong?"

McCoy picks up several vials of liquid and approaches the girl. He inserts them in a medical syringe and begins injecting them into the girl. "It seems that she was poisoned with a form of tranquilizer. She still has some of it left in her body, which is why she's so unresponsive and limp." He gently sets her arm on her chest and disposes of the now empty vials. "I've given her a serum to clean her blood from the poison and an antibiotic to counter the muscle spasm side-effect which occurs with the serum."

"When will she wake up?" Kirk asks.

The doctor laughs lightly. "Whenever she feels like it." He pauses before placing a hand on Kirk's shoulder. "Don't worry; I'll inform you of when she wakes up, Jim. Get back to the bridge and make yourself useful."

With that being the final word between them, Kirk leaves the infirmary and heads to the bridge where the rest of the crew awaits his arrival. He looks around the room to see all eyes on him and he bites his lower lip before making his way to his chair. "Lieutenant Uhura."

"Yes, captain?" A dark-skinned woman replies sitting at a nearby workstation.

"See if you can find any planetary governments who may have filed a missing captain and/or spacecraft report from regions nearest from here."

"Aye, captain."

"Mr Sulu, open a channel to Engineering."

"Aye, sir." The helmsman initiates the intercom to the engine room and patches them through. "Channel open, sir."

The captain leans forward in his seat. "Mr Scott, do you read me?"

"Aye, sir," a man with a Scottish accent replies from within the engine room.

"I want you to go the shuttlebay and see if you can identify or trace wherever the hell that shuttle from the unknown spacecraft came from. Can you do that?"

There is a slight pause over the intercom. "I-I suppose I can give it a shot. I gave it a quick look over when you brought it here, but it seems… Different."

"Different?" Kirk's expression becomes mildly concerned. "In what way?"

"Different as in different, sir. No serial number, no ship class, not even engine numbers. It's as if it's a blank ship," the head engineer tries to explain.

Kirk looks at his second in command who seems as perplexed as he is. "Well, do your best, Scotty. Notify me if you find anything."

The transmission is closed and Spock approaches his captain. "A 'blank ship' as Mr Scott so put it can only mean the ship does not belong to an agency or government, therefore rendering it either illegal or declassified."

Kirk looks at him with uncertainty. "You're not trying to tell me that they're pirates?"

"To some degree, that is exactly what I am saying, captain. Although it would have been more accurate for you to say 'were'."

Kirk hisses. "I don't need your back-talk, Spock."

"If I am correct in my assumption, then it also means we have a government offender on our ship," Spock adds and watches his captain's face change.

He stands from his seat and confronts Spock. "You believe that _she's_ a criminal? Have you even looked at her, Spock? She's just a kid!"

"Last time I checked, captain, so were you when you were a capital offender," Spock retorts, shaking his head. "Age has nothing to do with this, sir, I am merely stating what I see as the truth."

The captain rubs the back of his neck. "So what; you want me to send a report to officials that we have a space pirate in our custody?"

"Exactly, captain." Spock gives Kirk a very faint disconcerting look. "You cannot allow your emotions to out-weigh what must be done."

"Why is it that everybody is an enemy to you, Spock?" The captain's voice lowers into a testing whisper. "Why is it that you hold no compassion over others?"

"Compassion is not needed to fulfil objectives, nor is it necessary to do what needs to be done."

"And yet you once saved my life," Kirk retorts quickly and notices his commander go silent. He closes the gap between them and stares directly into his eyes. "Are you going to tell me that was not out of compassion and merely an objective you had to complete?"

Before anything more can be said, Kirk leaves the bridge in anger, leaving Spock standing silent.

Sulu turns his seat to face Spock behind him and frowns. "With all due respect, Commander, the captain is right." The helmsman watches as Spock's eyes almost glare at him and he quickly turns back to face his workstation.

"McCoy to bridge." Doctor McCoy's voice calls over the intercom.

"Doctor McCoy," Spock replies fully composed.

"The girl's awake... But you're probably not going to like it."


	3. Chapter 3

"Amnesia?"

McCoy nods as Kirk looks at the girl disappointed.

She lies with her head turned away from the others with an impeding look.

"Not only that, but she refuses to cooperate," McCoy adds. "The most I've got her to say is 'I don't know' or 'I'm sorry'."

"Sorry? For what?"

McCoy shrugs. "How should I know? Like I said, those two phrases are all I've got out of her."

Kirk kneels at the edge of her bed and stares at the back of her head. "Can't we at least get your name?"

With his question, the girl slowly turns her head to face them, showing cold dead eyes and a stale expression. She gazes at Kirk, but says nothing.

He stands up from the side of her bed and scratches his head. "Looks like you're not going to tell us anything, huh?"

"That's what I said to start with," McCoy growls under his breath before leaving to do something else.

Kirk stays near the girl who just looks at him. He tries to get her to talk again. "Listen. We found you unconscious on an old ship. You were the only survivor…" He reaches out for the girls hand and holds it between his own. "I just want to help you."

The girl's eyes vaguely wander around Kirk's face and her mouth slowly opens, but no words come out. Instead, she closes it and pulls her hand from Kirk's before turning her head the other way.

The captain of the Enterprise pulls back and releases a sigh of defeat. "Alright, fine." He walks over to the doctor and pats him on the back with hollow encouragement. "Keep an eye on her, Bones."

McCoy looks at his friend and frowns. "Jim, I'm a doctor, not a babysitter."

Kirk says nothing, just smiles at his friend and then leaves the medical bay, leaving McCoy and the mysterious girl alone.

The doctor looks to the girl and shakes his head before looking through her statistics on a monitor. He then picks up a piece of medical equipment and approaches the girl, hovering it over her body.

"Turn this way. I need to get your heart readings," he asks as gently as he can.

The girl hesitantly turns herself to lie flat on her back and looks up at the ceiling. McCoy runs the piece of equipment over her chest as she remains still.

"Bones?"

McCoy looks at the girl as she whispers the word.

Her eyes glance at him for a moment before realigning on the ceiling. "Your name?"

McCoy exhales a laugh with a smile. "Just some stupid old nickname he gave me when we met." He takes the medical equipment away from her body. "My name's Leonard McCoy…" The doctor pauses for a moment before asking. "Do you have a name, kid?"

The girl closes her eyes and shakes her head slowly. "I don't know. I don't remember."

McCoy sighs. He turns away and sets the medical equipment down near the monitor and plays with the interface. "Well, don't worry about it for now. Thinking too much is as bad as thinking too little."

"Who was he?"

McCoy glances at the girl from over his shoulder. "Jim Kirk, captain of this ship; the USS Enterprise," he states clearly and straight to the point. "He was the one who brought you here initially."

The girl carefully sits herself up, feeling a pain throb in her lower abdomen. When McCoy notices her movement, he immediately goes to her side. "Woah, you need to lie down, kid! Your abdominal muscles are torn in several places. Any sudden movements and you can make it worse!"

The doctor carefully helps the girl to lie on her back, gently placing pressure on her stomach to ease the pain as her head hits the pillow. His face leans over hers as he ensures her muscles have relaxed and so has her tension.

Once her will to move fades from her expression, he pulls himself away. "Just take it easy. Nothing's going to happen to you." His voice remains in a soothing whisper, hoping to calm the girl's concern still apparent on her face.

"All crew members, this is your captain speaking," Kirk's voice suddenly calls over intercom. As he speaks, McCoy walks back to the monitor and reads through the text showing on-screen, not paying much attention to the captain's voice. "Prepare for immediate departure back to headquarters. Kirk out." The intercom goes silent as the communication is cut off.

The girl looks to McCoy. "Headquarters?"

"Starfleet headquarters on Earth," he explains. "There we can get you proper medical treatment… And possibly find someone who knows you." McCoy shows a gentle smile as he stands on the other side of the room. "Get some rest."

"Alright," she answers meekly before closing her eyes and drifting away into a peaceful sleep.

McCoy watches as she drifts into a dream before resuming his work, checking on her every now and again out of concern and duty.


	4. Chapter 4

"Captain," Spock's serious voice speaks to Kirk as they make their way through the Starfleet headquarters. "You seem to have something on your mind. Care to enlighten?"

Kirk looks at the half-Vulcan from the corner of his eye. "If I tell you, all you'll do is accuse me of treason."

Spock frowns. "Captain?" He watches as his captain avoids him. "I do believe doctor McCoy is keeping a close eye on her. You need not worry over her well-being…"

"Jim!"

Kirk quickly turns to see doctor McCoy running his way clutching a PADD to his chest. "Bones? Where's the girl?"

McCoy stops in a short distance of his captain with an undecided look in his eyes. "She's fine. Look, there's something you need to see." He shows Kirk his PADD to reveal numbers and statistics. "I took samples of cells from her body internally and externally, and… Well…"

"Spit it out, Bones," Kirk urged his friend.

McCoy switches gazes from Kirk and Spock for a moment before continuing. "That girl didn't collapse just yesterday. She was unconscious for at least 72 hours."

The captain and commander look at one-another in surprise.

"Her last food and water intake was more than 3 days ago."

"Fortunately we had found her when we did," Spock adds, seeing McCoy nod in agreement.

"Where is she now?" Kirk speaks up.

McCoy points over his shoulder. "At Starfleet's infirmary. I placed her on a drip and the nurses are monitoring her closely."

"Keep an eye on her," the captain announces before continuing to head down the corridor with Spock at his side.

The doctor watches in disbelief as Kirk and his commander walk away after giving him the order. He clenches his teeth and lowers the PADD to his side. "How long do I have to play babysitter?"

"Captain, is this wise?" Spock's usual doubt lingers in the air as the two walk side-by-side.

Kirk stops and turns to the half-Vulcan. "Come on, Spock. You can't tell me you still see her as a threat?"

"She is of unknown origin and we have placed her in Starfleet headquarters with no security and access to every sector of the building. Her birth register is nowhere to be seen therefore she is invisible to the system, and what is more, doctor McCoy seems to be the only one you are having keep watch of her. He has other duties as a doctor; he cannot watch her 24/7."

Kirk slaps a hand on Spock's shoulder. "Oh, relax! She's not a threat. Besides, you saw her when she first came here; she couldn't tell which way was up or down with this place."

"Which is precisely why I am so concerned."

"How are you feeling, ma'am?" A young nurse asks the girl lying on the medical bed.

The girl glances at the woman next to her before resting her head on the pillow and staring up at the ceiling. "As good as can be expected, I guess," she replies in a disinterested voice.

The nurse smiles. "You seem more willing to talk."

The girl silently shrugs.

"Or… Not," the nurse adds with a frown forming on her face.

"Where's doctor McCoy?" The girl speaks up.

"Right here." A man's voice enters the infirmary. He throws the PADD on a nearby surface before stepping towards the girl. "How are you feeling?"

The girl shrugs indifferently. "Okay. My stomach still hurts, though," she admits.

McCoy gives her a scornful look. "Well it will do for a couple of days. What about strength-wise? Feeling, weak? Dizzy? Lack of concentration, loss of-"

The girl shakes her head. "No," she replies quickly before he can go into a list.

The doctor nods slowly at his young patient. "Okay, well if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

He makes his way over to the side and takes out a small vial full of red liquid and places it in a stand on the work surface.

"What's that?"

McCoy glances over his shoulder to see the girl with her eyes looking towards the vial beside him. "Your blood sample. I took it before you regained consciousness."

The girl carefully sits herself up to get a better view of the doctor's actions. "Are you going to analyse the poison?" Her question causes McCoy to quickly turn and face her with a look of surprise. The girl shrugs lightly. "I overheard the nurses talk about it earlier. They said I had some sort of paralysis poison in my body."

The doctor looks through his natural scowling eyes at the girl casually sitting there watching him. "You did," he confirms bluntly. "I gave you a serum to help remove the remainder out of your blood stream; don't worry, you're clean."

The girl nods with understanding and the doctor returns to experimenting with the blood sample. "I guess I should thank you," she smiles gently. "You saved my life."

McCoy shakes his head. "That's my job, kid. I am a doctor, you know."

"I know, but still…" The girl pauses to look at her abdomen before looking back at the doctor. "Hey, Bones?"

With the sound of his nickname, McCoy's head turns.

"About medicine… Can you teach me?"

The doctor looks at her for a second before grabbing the blood sample and medical equipment. "I'm not a lecturer…"

"I know," the girl quickly says. "You're a doctor."


	5. Chapter 5

A faint wind blows through the City as the girl stands awing the view from the Starfleet plaza. She rests her arms on the wall and leans over to watch the thousand of vehicles and people below. She inhales some air before releasing it heavily.

"It appears you have recovered."

The girl glances from the corner of her eye to see a man stand next to her with his back straight and head high. She noticed his pointed ears and slant eyebrows, yet said nothing.

"It is not wise for you to be wandering about on your own," he speaks again.

"Yeah, well, doctor McCoy's busy and your captain is away fooling around. Even though I like it here, it can get boring at times," she admits to the commander who stands listening quietly.

She releases another sigh and looks up into the clear blue sky above her. "It's quite amazing," she begins with a fascinated smile. "Somewhere up there is the USS Enterprise. Compared to other planets, it's so close. And yet, it's still invisible from Earth…" She twists her neck around towards the half-Vulcan. "I can barely imagine how far away the planets surrounding the stars that we see at night are from us. It's almost unbelievable that they exist."

Spock gives her a still look. "Space, indeed, is unimaginable in size, however it does exist."

The girl releases an airy laugh at his words. "And somewhere in that unimaginably sized Space is my home planet." As those words escape her heart, her hands clench onto the wall.

"It appears that you dwell on the location of your home planet on a regular basis."

The girl nods with a painful smile. "Every second of the day." She pulls herself off the wall and spins around to lean her back on it instead. "I desperately want to remember who I am and where I came from, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't." She looks towards the large Starfleet headquarters building in front of her. "Sometimes I feel like it's a mistake for me to be here. Everybody looks at me like I'm some sort of criminal… And you included." Her voice shows sadness and inferiority.

Spock gives her a quick unanticipated look.

"Maybe I should get out of here. It'll ease everybody's minds."

"Are you sure that is wise?" Spock asks her as she steps away from the wall.

She turns on her heels to face him and tilts her head with a depressed look. "There's nothing tying me to this place, nor is there anything for anybody to forget; I am completely blank, after all."

"Blank in what context?"

"No name, no age, no home. There's nothing for anybody to miss."

"Is your presence not a factor in all of this?"

"Spock," the girl says his name almost in desperation. "Does it really look like anybody will miss my being here? Look around."

Spock takes a moment to observe the other people walking by and notice none turning to face the girl or even acknowledging her.

"The only people who are even trying to acknowledge me are captain Kirk and doctor McCoy," she adds. "Even then, it's only because they see it as their duty."

The commander holds his tongue, knowing that saying anything would change nothing, nor would he have faith in his words. "May I ask what you are planning to do?"

The girl smiles and shakes her head. "Sorry, Spock. But I think it's best for you to not know. I don't want anybody chasing after me."

With that as her final words, she leaves Spock and heads into the Starfleet building.

She slows her pace and soon stops as she enters the building.

Her hand clenches her heart as she feels a small pain from inside. Reflecting on her resolve verbally in front of Spock has caused her desperation to find who she truly is grow all the more stronger.

But she knows she can't afford to reveal it. Too many people judge her enough as it is; any more unwelcome attention will affect her greatly. Especially due to the fact even she herself is afraid to find out who she is. The conflicting emotions inside her threaten to surface, however she tries to keep them at bay.

The girl shakily inhales and releases all of her tension and emotions in her heart in one exhale of breath before resetting her focus. "Right, I need to head to the barracks," she speaks her mind in a whisper only she can hear before looking around mindlessly. "Considering how huge this place is, I have no idea where it could be…"

Before her thoughts could establish any ideas, the girl almost gets knocked off her feet from behind.

The one who caused her unbalance quickly grabs her by the shoulders to stop her from falling. "Terribly sorry, lassie."

She recognises the accent instantly and looks to see Scotty, the Enterprise's chief engineer. "Mr Scott, what's the hurry?"

He lets go of her shoulders and waves his hands in front of him. "I'm needed on the USS Enterprise for her regular servicin'. Those blasted surveyors barely know the difference between a particle stabiliser and a neuron balance!"

The girl gives him a confused look. "Aren't they the same thing?"

Scotty carefully pushes her to the side and jumps around her. "Sorry, but I need tae hurry. They've probably already started tinkering with her balance meter and engine sustainers!"

The girl pauses for a moment before a light-bulb idea appears in her head. "Wait, Scotty! Hold up!" She calls to the man and runs after him. "Wait a minute!"

Scotty stops and turns to look at her. "Look, missy, I ain't got time!"

Before he can run off again, the girl grabs him by the shoulder. "Let me come with you."

Scotty's face draws a blank. "Come again?"

"Let me come with you," she repeats. "I've got nothing better to do. The least I want to do is help in some way." She gives him a shy smile. "Please?"

Scotty looks through her eyes for a moment before giving in. "Alright, fine! You can be my assistant. Just don't expect anything interesting tae happen."

The girl follows the chief engineer to the barracks and lowers her eyes. "Sorry, Scotty..."


	6. Chapter 6

****Personally, I'm not too confident with this chapter. Hopefully it's not too sudden or dramatic, but it is needed to lead to the next chapter which will be better (Promise!)**

**~FanTazy****

"So tell us the real reason, lass," Scotty speaks up as they are transported to the Starbase where the Enterprise rests. "You don't seem the type interested in engineering."

The girl looks over to him and shuffles in her seat uncomfortably. "So you knew, huh? Actually I want to check out that shuttle," she vaguely admits her intentions.

Scotty chuckles. "Aye, that shuttle certainly has its mysteries," he announces. "Three days I spent analysing it and still nothing. It's completely blank!"

The girl smiles sadly. "In many ways, like me, then…"

The chief engineer looks to the girl to see her lacking confidence and hope. "Lass, yer gunna have to have some faith in yersel'. Keep thinking like that and you'll never get yer memories back."

The girl stops to think before nodding her head. "Alright, I'll try. I was hoping that seeing the shuttle would bring something back."

"Aye, visual stimulation. That could work," Scotty says with light confidence. He peers out the window beside him. "Hey, take a look. We're almost there."

The girl looks out her window to see the Starbase and the USS Enterprise docked nearby. She looks with astonishment at the drifting structure. "Impressive," she whispers.

Scotty nods. "Aye. A real beauty, that one."

"Arriving at Starbase 1. Please remain seated until the craft comes to a complete stop." The computer's voice repeats several times as it arrives at the Starbase.

It enters through a gate and parks inside.

Scotty and the girl unfasten their seatbelts and make their way out of the craft and onto the platform. The engineer grabs the girl's arm and looks to the security officers, pointing to the girl. "Dinnae worry, she's with me," he speaks quickly and the officers allow them through.

He releases the girl as they hurriedly head to the Enterprise. "Stay close; this place is more of a maze than headquarters."

The girl looks around to see the corridors narrow and almost lifeless. "Where is everybody?"

"The Starbase is only occupied by security and some engineers usually. It's when a red alert has been sounded when it gets hectic," he explains.

They come to a door and Scotty hastily types in a code. The girl watches as it slides open and they both step through into the dock holding the Enterprise.

Two more hands of security stand by the Starship and Scotty approaches them, showing them his PADD. "Chief engineer Scotty to help assess the USS Enterprise servicing handled by the Starfleet surveyors. This lass is my assistant."

The security officers look at the two in front of them before handing back Scotty's PADD. "Alright, go on ahead," one speaks up.

Scotty smiles and nods. "Right, thank you," he says before heading on to the Enterprise.

The girl follows closely, giving the security a smiling nod as she passes.

They both step into an elevator and Scotty pushes the button. The doors slide shut.

"The shuttle should still be in the shuttle bay," Scotty begins to explain. "I'll take you there once the surveyors have finished. For now, just stay with me."

"Where's the shuttle bay?" The girl asks.

Scotty points to the buttons on the elevator. "The highest sector of the ship. It's one of the easiest sectors to reach, in case there's need for emergency evacuations."

The girl nods in understanding as the lift comes to a stop at the bridge and the two of them step out.

"Alright, now let's see where the wee sods are…" Scotty observes the bridge and notices a small group of uniformed officers huddled in a corner looking over some electronics. He points over to them and makes his way through the work stations towards them. "Ah, there they are!"

The girl watches carefully as Scotty approaches the group and begins to slowly back away into the elevator. She notices Scotty grow in a heated discussion with the team about the ship's schematics and apparent 'technical issues' they believed to exist and activates the lift.

She watches the doors slide shut and presses the button to take her to the shuttle bay.

Her lungs release air as she controls her emotions. "I sure hope I can do this…"

Scotty's communicator suddenly goes off, cutting him midway in debate with the group in front of him. He notices the frequency and answers. "Mr Spock? What are you calling me for?"

"Mr Scott. Where is the girl?" The half-Vulcan on the other end speaks formally and calm.

Scotty smiles as he turns. "Right here with me, sir. She's helping ou—"

His voice pauses suddenly as he twists and turns. "Well, she was here…"

"Mr Scott, you have to find her."

Scotty looks baffled. "Wh-why? What's she planning to…" He raises his head upon realisation. "Oh no. She can't possibly be thinking of…" He drops his communicator and hurries to the elevator to find it in-use. He hits his fist on the wall and growls. "Lass, you're making a grave mistake."

The lift comes to a stop and the doors slide open, allowing the girl to step into the shuttlebay.

Her eyes scan the space to find what she is looking for ahead. She quickly pushes the elevator's emergency stop and runs towards the unlicensed shuttle.

Keeping her wits about her, she makes sure no personnel are in the shuttle bay and hurries onto the shuttle.

Once she steps in and sees the interior, she freezes. "This is…"

_ "Daddy! Daddy!"_

_ "Are you excited, sweetheart?"_

_ "This is my first time in a shuttle!"_

The girl stands staring at the front of the shuttle. "Daddy?" She suddenly blinks and staggers back as she comes to her senses. Her hand rests on her forehead as she feels her head pulsate. "My father…"

She snaps herself out of it and refocuses her mindset and heads to the front of the shuttle where the master controls are set in front of a chair.

She leans over the controls to see what she is up against, but her mind fogs as her memory repeats in her head.

_"Daddy, I wanna be just like you when I grow up!"_

_ "Really now? Are you sure? Being a neuroscientist takes a lot of discipline…"_

She hits her fist against the controls in frustration. "Dammit, I don't have a clue on how to start this thing!" She searches around the consoles and switches.

_ "Dad, are you sure you want to take me with you? I'm not skilled in handling spacecraft, let alone his shuttle."_

_ "It's fine, my dear. You have me, don't you?"_

_ "Dad…"_

"Lassie, get off of that shuttle immediately!" Scotty's voice yells from the communicator of the shuttle, snapping the girl out of it. "I know what yer thinkin' and I won't allow you tae do it!"

The girl looks up and slams her hands on the controls. "And you expect me to go back to Earth and do nothing!? I need to find my memories! I need to find my father…"

"Father?" Scotty's voice asks over the intercom. "You remember something."

"Yeah," she whispers in response. "Which is even more reason for me to get out of here!"

"And where, might I ask, will you be going?"

The girl quickly turns her head to see a man aboard the shuttle. His stern eyes and stance show extreme irritability and impatience. "Doctor." She allows the word to escape her as she is overcome with minor shock of his presence.

"You've got nowhere to go," McCoy adds.

"You're wrong," the girl speaks up trying to silence her frustration. "I have one place I can go, one place I remember." She tries to give the man in front of her a determined expression, however fails to keep the tears hidden. "My ship," she speaks up as she begins to cry.


	7. Chapter 7

****It's hard trying to keep McCoy's character canon at times, but I've tried X_X**

**~~FanTazy****

The girl stands there allowing her tears to fall down her face as she looks to McCoy standing on the other side of the shuttlecraft. She decides to challenge him and steps forward. "Do you know what it's like; not being able to remember your name or where you came from?" She shakes her head from side to side. "I don't know where I grew up, who I am or who my family is… All I can remember is my father's voice. All I know is our ship is destroyed. I don't know if my father is alive, or the rest of my family for that matter. They may have been on that ship. But if you won't let me go, then how can I find out!?"

She tries to push back her tears as she struggles to breathe and see through her misty eyes. She stands trembling with anger and fear. "You don't understand. Nobody understands."

McCoy watches as the girl breaks down in front of him. All the time she was awake she was holding all her fear inside, trying to keep everyone out of it. But, with being so close to finding a hint of hope about herself, she is cornered and taken back.

The doctor gives her a look of sympathy before slowly approaching her. "Kid, you need to calm down. You're getting yourself into a state." His voice is calm and gentle. "I understand that you feel singled out in all of this and I can only imagine how you feel, but you must realise that we are doing everything we can."

"Are you?" She speaks up, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jumper. "Are you really doing _everything_ you can? I finally managed to remember something by going here, against everybody's orders, and if I get to my ship than I know I might just remember something important!"

McCoy struggles to find the right words to say and stops advancing towards her. "Look, you want to get your memories back, I get it. But you also need to look after yourself." With his words, the girl looks at him. "You woke up after being unconscious for over 72 hours, you were taken to a different planet by people you've never met and, on top of that, you don't know who you are or where you came from. I'm not only concerned over your physical health, you know."

The girl lowers her hand from her face and avoids the doctor's gaze. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

McCoy steps towards her and reaches out his hand, placing it at the back of her head and gently pushing her towards him. He rests his chin on her hair as he head rests against his chest. "Be patient. Whilst you were plotting out ways to escape, Jim's been doing some digging. He's not just a playboy captain, you know." He glances down at her and strokes her hair comfortingly. "He's not an idiot, either. He's been trying to get the go-ahead from Starfleet to return back to that ship of yours. When it comes to private business out of the Starfleet regime, they tend to look down on it. That's why everyone's been so busy lately; trying to convince them otherwise."

The girl tries to cease her crying and hyperventilating and pulls away slightly from McCoy. "So that's what the Commander meant by being patient," she speaks between hiccups and tears.

McCoy gives her his usual look. "What, you thought that we'd take you here and just leave you to fend on your own?"

The girl shrugs as she wipes her face. "Well it seemed that way," she mumbles. "It's just… It feels as if I've lost everything and I don't know where to turn. It's like I've been pushed into a well and have no way to get out. The only way would be to climb out of it using my strength alone."

McCoy gives her a thoughtful gaze as he pushes a strand of her hair away from her face. "You have no idea how much I can relate to that, kid," he admits. "Starfleet is my only home, now. I've been through hell after the ex-wife took everything away from me. But now I have the Enterprise and her crew. Although I hate to admit it, they're the closest thing to a family I have." He places a hand on her shoulder out of reassurance. "Just have a bit of faith in us."

"I'm surprised," the girl speaks up after a small pause with a small smile on her face. "I never saw you as a compassionate person."

McCoy looks away slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, well… I can't have an attractive young woman make herself look like a Melkotian through crying, now, can I?"

He watches as she manages a meek laugh through her tears and smiles. "Come on. Everyone's worried about you. Be prepared for plenty of lectures from certain people, as well."

The girl wipes away the remainder of her tears and sheepishly follows McCoy out of the shuttle, to find an angry captain waiting.

He looks at the girl and notices her red eyes and damp cheeks. "You have a lot of explaining to do, you know that, right?"

She nods timidly to his words before feeling the doctor's hand push her forward from her back. She stumbles slightly and steps closer to the captain. "I'm sorry," she speaks in a soft voice. "I let my feelings get the best of me and grew too eager for my own good. But, if it's any consolation…" She raises her head to look into Kirk's eyes. "… I don't know how to operate the shuttle, so I probably wouldn't have gotten far anyway."

Kirk raises an eyebrow at her confession. "Are you telling me you were going to try and fly that thing without knowing how to?"

The girl nods.

"Do you realise how dangerous that is? One mishandle and you'll be dead in seconds. There's a reason why you need to be trained to control any form of craft; it'll be like you trying to drive a car without knowing how to break!"

"Alright, Jim, that's enough." McCoy holds his hand out towards Kirk to stop him from getting any closer to the girl. "You can have this talk back at headquarters. Let's just get her off and out of this ship—"

"Actually, no," Kirk interrupts his friend and looks towards the girl with a nod. "We need to get you changed and wait for the rest of the crew to arrive."

McCoy frowns. "Are you saying that they approved?"

Kirk shows a determined smile. "It took longer than expected, but once I managed to convince them she wasn't a threat, they said go ahead." He looks towards the girl. "Now you don't have any reason to plot a means of escape. And, if you do, make sure you're confident in your method instead of improvising."

The girl nods enthusiastically, feeling a weight lifting off her chest. "Yes, sir."

She looks to McCoy and nods, receiving one in return before they head to the bridge.


	8. Chapter 8

The girl slips on a blue uniform in her living quarters, adjusting the collar and sleeves.

The door opens and a woman wearing a red uniform steps in. She smiles at her. "It suits you," she speaks up.

The girl laughs nervously. "I appreciate you letting me sleep in your quarters, lieutenant."

"Uhura," the woman speaks up with a smile still on her face. "Call me Uhura. And it's no big deal. It'll be nice to have a roommate after so long. My last one always brought guys back with her."

"No way," the girl gives Uhura a surprised look as she nods.

"Yeah, what's even more shocking is that one of them was our beloved captain."

The girl laughs and shakes her head. "Actually, I can believe that."

Uhura raises an eyebrow. "Don't tell me that you're interested in him."

The girl choked on Uhura's comment and raises her hand in front of her face in defence. "Oh, no, not at all! No way in hell would I fall for a guy like that. I'm not into those 'ladies' man' types," she clearly explains.

The lieutenant smiles. "So what type _is _your type?"

"I don't remember. All I know is that after being around the captain and hearing the rumours about him, I just don't like the thought of falling for him."

Before the two can continue their conversation, the door to their room slides open and a half-Vulcan peers in.

Upon noticing the girl standing there still adjusting her uniform, he pulls back slightly. "Forgive me, I did not realise you were changing."

The girl narrows her eyes and glares at the commander. "Clearly," she bites back.

Spock looks away from her and focuses onto Nyota. "Lieutenant, you are needed on the bridge…" He pauses for a moment before nodding to the girl. "…As are you. Under captain's orders."

He leaves the two women in the room upon seeing the girl's head turn from his.

Nyota watches her show signs of discomfort and anger. "Hey, did something happen between you two?"

The girl closes her eyes for a moment before facing Nyota and shaking her head. "It's nothing." She heads for the door, but stops before it slides open and looks at the lieutenant giving her a concerned gaze. "Oh, and you don't have to worry; I know Spock is off-limits."

As she steps out the room, Nyota releases a sigh. "You know that's not what I meant…"

"Mr Sulu, set destination to the unknown ship," Kirk's voice commands the helmsman as the girl and Uhura step onto the bridge. He turns to notices Uhura head to her post leaving the girl standing there awkwardly. He smiles. "I'm glad that uniform fits. It suits you."

The girl folds her arms and looks at the captain defensively. "Why did you need me to change, captain Kirk? I was perfectly comfortable in my other clothes."

Kirk stands from the captain's chair and leans his hand on it. "Starfleet orders. Because they don't encourage this sort of mission, it's to be done in discretion, meaning you have to be a temporary crew member, or at least pass as one." He takes his hand of the chair and steps towards the girl. "We don't expect you to do anything, however you can't get in the way, is that clear?" He leans into her face to meet her dead eyes.

She stares into him for a moment before nodding slowly and carefully. "As you wish." She turns on her heels and walks towards the window and stares out into the vast space.

Kirk watches as her expression remains the same. "What's up with her? She seems different." He turns to Nyota who is busy setting up her work station. "Hey, Uhura." Once the woman turns to face him, he points to the girl behind him. "Do you know…" He motions to her several times, not wanting to say it aloud in case the girl in question hears.

Nyota shrugs. "I don't know. But it could have something to do with Spock," she answers.

Kirk turns to his first officer who stands there with his straight back, unmoved as usual. "Spock, any idea what's up with the girl?"

Spock looks at his captain and then to the girl. "Sorry, captain, but I do not have the slightest idea. Human emotions are beyond me."

The captain nods almost expectantly. "Yeah, I thought not."

He turns upon hearing the doors to the bridge open and the doctor step out. "Doctor McCoy," Kirk calls to as he walks towards him, blocking his path suddenly.

"What is it, Jim? I'm busy," he growls at his friend as he lowers the PADD in his hands.

Kirk raises his hands in front of him. "Sorry, but I was wondering if you could talk to the girl and find out what's wrong. I have a feeling it's something that involves Spock, but I'm not 100% sure—"

"Well of course it is," he replies abruptly. "He was the one who informed Mr Scott and I about her little attempted escapade. No doubt she's holding some sort of grudge over him for that."

Kirk looks at McCoy who furrows his eyebrows.

"What?"

Kirk continues to stare at his friend until he eventually gets it.

McCoy growls. "No, I am not playing babysitter, Jim! You've had me watching her all week and, finally once she got back on her feet, I was free from her."

Kirk folds his arms. "You don't like being around her? Do you hate her? Is that it?"

"N-no, of course I don't bloody hate her!"

"So you _like_ her?"

McCoy is about to reply but stops upon seeing the sly look on his friend's face. He gives him an unamused look. "Jim, I am not playing this game with you."

With that, the slightly peeved doctor walks away from the captain who reveals a toothy grin. He shrugs to himself in satisfaction. "Well, you didn't deny it."

The doctor heads towards the girl standing looking out to space. Her eyes follow shooting stars as they leap across her line of sight.

He stands nearby and folds his arms. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," the girl replies refusing to tear her eyes away from the stars.

"You're not going to cry again, are you?"

She laughs and looks down before shaking her head. "No. That was just a moment of weakness. It won't happen again."

"Really?" McCoy steps closer to her and slightly leans in to her. "From here, it looks like that you're lying."

The girl looks into the doctor's strong dark eyes before avoiding him, turning her body away from his. "I'm fine, doctor McCoy."

McCoy looks at her shying away from him and places a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You know, that uniform suits you. It brings out your eyes," he whispers to her before walking away, allowing his hand to gracefully fall off her shoulder.

She watches from the corner of her eye as he heads off the bridge, possibly to the medical bay. "Idiot," she whispers as her right eye sheds a tear down a lightly flushed cheek.


	9. Chapter 9

"Captain, we are currently 2500 kilometres from our destination," Sulu speaks up as he sits at his work station reading the screen in front of him.

"Prepare to disengage warp," Kirk swings in his seat as he looks around the bridge. He notices the girl standing beside Uhura, peering over her shoulder with a look of intrigue on her face.

"Lieutenant, don't you ever get confused with all the languages?" She asks fascinated.

Uhura smiles. "Sometimes I forget myself and slip from one to the other, but when it comes to translating, it's pretty self-explanatory." She shows a proud face. "I was at the top of my class in xenolinguistics."

The girl gives her a confused look. "Xeno… Linguistics?"

The lieutenant nods. "Study of alien languages. I could teach you some if you'd like."

The girl smiles and shakes her hands in front of her. "Oh, no. I'm not good with languages. I tried learning some Klingon from a book the other day, and it just went completely over me." She rubs the back of her head nervously. "To be honest, there's times that even English goes over me."

"Pardon me," Spock's voice calls from nearby and the two women turn to see him sitting at his work space, "however I feel that Lieutenant Uhura is becoming distracted by your interference."

The girl glares at the half-Vulcan and pushes herself away from Uhura's desk. "Oh, my apologies, captain's pet," she snaps at him sarcastically.

Spock stops working and spins his seat to face the girl. "I am sorry, I do not understand your meaning. In what way defines me as a 'pet'?"

"Oh, I don't know. Unwilling to break the rules, perhaps? Interfering in business clearly not yours to interfere in? Or how about this; ratting out somebody who trusted you enough to confide their feelings?"

"Are you referring to when I informed Mr Scott and the doctor of your intentions?"

The girl throws her arms to her side dramatically as she almost gives up. "Yes, what else would I be referring to, you Vulcan dimwit."

Uhura stands up from her seat and places a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey, hey, calm down."

"Considering the fact you were – and still are - unable to commandeer the shuttle, do you not feel relieved that I did so?"

"That's not the point, you logical idiot."

"Calm do—"

"Is that not contradictory? Calling one an idiot with an adjective which shows intellectual understanding is somewhat illogical."

"Do you _want_ me to hurt you!?"

"It is impossible for you to harm me."

"We'll see about that," the girl shoves Uhura's hand off her shoulder and approaches Spock who remains in his seat, challenging the girl with his unwavering eyes.

Before she can reach him, a man steps between them, cutting the girl out of her rage. She looks up to him to see his stern look.

"Kirk…" She whispers as he stands between the two.

"You need to calm yourself down. I know things are difficult for you and I know that Spock's way of doing things doesn't help matters. Go take a walk to cool your head."

"B-but—"

"Go." Kirk's voice is stern yet hold some gentleness behind it.

The girl gives Uhura a sad look before walking past Kirk and Spock to the doors leading out of the bridge. She steps through them and, as the doors close, the eyes of the captain, commander and lieutenant watch.

"Spock," Kirk starts as he turns to face his commander, "you know that she's on thin ice right now. Can't you at least try and be more considerate to her feelings?"

"If her actions cause any form of disruption in the managing of the ship, then she will solely be responsible for any problems caused."

Kirk gives him a blank look before turning to Uhura. "Seriously, I wonder what you see in him."

Uhura shrugs. "At times like this, so do I."

The captain takes to his seat. "Uhura, can you open a channel to doctor McCoy?"

"Aye, captain," the lieutenant replies and quickly flicks switches at her work station as she sits down.

"Captain," Spock's serious voice speaks to Kirk who sits idly in his seat. "You seem to have something on your mind. Care to enlighten?"

Kirk looks at the half-Vulcan from the corner of his eye. "Considering you current attitude, if I tell you, all you'll do is accuse me of treason."

Spock frowns. "Captain?" He watches as his captain avoids him. Spock looks forward to the front of the bridge. "I do believe she can take care of herself. Even though she may be rather spontaneous and impulsive, she seems to understand where her own position. You need not worry over her well-being."

"Maybe it's the fact that you're attracted to her," Lieutenant Uhura adds in with a merciless glare.

Kirk rolls his eyes at her accusation. "Come on, Lieutenant. You honestly think I'll go as low as taking advantage of a woman who doesn't even know who she is?" He leans back in his seat and rests his chin on his hand. "Besides, I prefer stronger women; those in their prime. She's barely in her 20s."

"You prefer the dominant type?" Spock leans in to his captain.

Kirk looks at him with a wry smile. "Don't you?"

Spock looks towards Uhura who shares his gaze before looking back at Kirk. "I have no comment on the matter."

"Stupid Spock. Stupid Kirk. Stupid Enterprise," the girl mumbles as she drags herself through the long corridors of the Enterprise. "What do they expect me to do? Sit around bored, waiting to reach my ship? Well, I know it's not _my_ ship, I can barely work my way through the elevator buttons on this one, but still…" She slows her walking with every word until she comes to a stop and stares at her feet.

She twists her body to lean her back on the wall and sighs to herself. "What am I doing? I'm acting like a complete bitch…" She slides herself down and tucks in her legs to her chest. "I get why Spock did what he did, but still… And Kirk is barely helping matters with one minute helping me and the next not getting off my back… Then there's Bones…"

"What about me?"

The girl jumps in surprise when the familiar voice echoes in the corridor. She raises her head to see McCoy standing over her with his usual look.

The girl looks everywhere other than his eyes. 'You can see right through me,' she thinks to herself. "Just forget it," she mumbles instead, afraid of speaking her mind. "What do you want, anyway?"

McCoy holds out a weapon in front of him. "Here. I forgot to give you this earlier."

"What is it?" The girl asks as she carefully takes it from his hand, inspecting it intently.

"A phaser," he explains. "It's a special gun which fires concentrated energy blasts as ammunition. Depending on the settings, it can stun or kill a target."

The girl gives him an awkward look. "And you're entrusting me with this?"

McCoy motions with his hand. "Stand up, I'll show you how to fire it."

She gives him a reluctant shuffle before pushing herself on her feet, careful to not accidentally fire the phaser. "Why you and not… Well, somebody who uses a phaser on a daily basis."

The doctor gives her a stale look. "Thanks for not trying to degrade me as a mere doctor," he comments and watches her shy away. "We're all supposed to learn how to handle them, kid. Besides, the captain made me your guardian, so I have to."

The girl clicks her tongue. "Try saying that in a more enthusiastic way next time, Bones. I may get the wrong idea that you don't really want me here, like everybody else."

McCoy frowns. "What's with you?"

The girl shakes her head. "Nothing. I'm just getting a little tired of not knowing who I am or where I actually stand with anybody."

"Cheer up, kid. We're almost at your ship," he places an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "Which is also the reason why you need to get your ass in gear and follow me."


	10. Chapter 10

****Most of this is nonsense, so don't take the methods to heart if you do have a phaser and wish to know how to use it (I will not be held responsible for my readers' phaser injuries and/or deaths so please do not send me your medical bills!)... That is all.**

**~FanTazy****

"Come here," McCoy orders as he and the girl step into an empty room. "This used to be a storage room, but we've never really used it. Instead, we've renovated it into a target practice room."

The girl raises an eyebrow as she scans the completely empty white room. "I hate to break it to you, Bones, but this room is completely empty. What am I supposed to use as a target?"

McCoy walks towards a monitor built into the wall and taps the screen, allowing a whirring sound to fill the room.

Suddenly, the roof of the room opens up and several plastic 2-dimensional dummies lower into the room. Three begin to move whilst two remain stationary.

The girl looks over to McCoy who raises his hand to the dummies. "Are they good enough targets?" he asks sarcastically before approaching the girl who clutches the gun's grip in one hand. "Alright, so first you need to hold the phaser in both hands. It helps you to keep a steadier aim and less likely of a chance to misfire."

The girl takes hold of the gun in both hands, overlapping them.

McCoy shakes his head and points to her hands. "You need to have your dominant hand closest to the trigger, with your less dominant further down the grip." He watches as the girl fumbles around to get her hands right without accidentally firing. Once she gets it, he stands directly behind her placing his hands on her shoulders. "Okay, now you need to try aiming," he speaks gently to her as he traces his hands to her elbows and raises them accordingly. "You need to make sure your line of sight isn't blocked by the phaser, and your arms aren't sagging." McCoy steps closer to her, almost resting his cheek against her ear, as he encourages her to stretch out her arms. "Your left arm's your dominant hand?"

She nods quietly to him, afraid any words out of her mouth will choke from the close proximity.

"Alright, so hold the phaser slightly to your right so your left hand is stretched out and your right arm is a little slack. This'll make it easier to compensate for the recoil and withdraw it when you need to."

McCoy helps the girl motion her arms back and forth from aiming and withdrawn. "You got it?" He asks, looking at her face which seems focused intently on the phaser in her hand. He releases her arms and steps back from her a few inches as he speaks. "Alright, make sure your eyes are on the target and the phaser is following your line of sight." She nods as she aims the phaser in front of her. "Now try shooting one of the stationary targets."

She aims for the one on the far left and presses the trigger on the grip. The phaser fires towards the dummy and recoils in her hand, causing her to jump but still keep a grip of the gun. She watches as the dummy is knocked off its balance and begins to spin to reveal a reasonably sized hole in its left shoulder.

A satisfied smile grows on her face and she turns to McCoy. "Well, at least I hit the target."

McCoy folds his arms. "Not bad. But you only gave him a shattered clavicle and minor burning." He walks up to the girl and takes hold of her hands from behind and makes her aim at the same dummy she had fired at. The doctor places his hands over hers gently. "Aim for the head when killing, and the heart when stunning." He forces the girl to fire the phaser, shattering the left side of the torso where the heart would be. "Use stun when needed. Only kill when you have to. Firing at the heart allows the stun to trigger the symptoms of cardiopulmonary arrest. Most times, it won't be fatal, but will leave them stunned for a longer period of time."

"Most?" the girl repeats, turning her head to see his dangerously close and quickly turning to face ahead.

"Most being the ones with no heart problems. Cardiovascular disease, Tachycardia, Bradycardia…"

"Okay, I get it," she stops the doctor from indefinite listing. "Heart problems means death by direct stun to the heart, right?"

He nods. "Right." He pulls himself away from the girl and steps towards the monitor. "Do you think you can handle the moving targets?"

The girl looks to see the dummies in the background moving from side-to-side and swallows hard. "Y-yeah, I'll give it a shot."

McCoy watches intently as she raises the phaser in front of her and aims to one of the mobile targets. She breathes slowly and steadies her hand as she aims.

Her finger pushes the trigger.

McCoy gives her a surprised look as the dummy spins violently with signs of damage to the head. "Now that was unexpected," he admits to himself in a whisper.

The girl watches as the tip of the phaser remains out on front of her. The dummy eventually comes to a stop and swings ominously to one side as one of the struts attaching the dummy to the mechanism is shattered.

She pulls the phaser in and releases her right hand from it in awe. "I got a direct shot…"

"How the hell did you do that?" McCoy asks from the side. "Even Jim couldn't get the moving target on his first try!"

The girl looks to McCoy, then to the phaser, and then to the dummy. "Maybe… I've fired one before," she speaks up, not quite knowing herself how she managed to pull it off. "Maybe it was instinctual."

McCoy growls. "Instinctual my ass. Seeing you do that makes me a little afraid to find out who you really are…"

"Attention all crew members!" A voice over the intercom announces. "This is your captain, speaking. We have arrived at our destination, could Mr Scott and doctor McCoy meet me in the transporter room immediately! Bones, take the girl with you. Kirk out."

McCoy and the girl look at one another and nod. The doctor heads to the door as the girl slides her phaser into her holster before following McCoy to the transporter room.


End file.
